Talent or Lightning Striking?
2012-06-25 - by
After two terms in the State House Thom Tillis soared to being the second most powerful politician in Raleigh after the Governor and the oohing and aahing that followed probably wasn’t as lethal (or as likely to turn a fellow’s head) as a blonde whispering in his ear but, still, all that adulation had to be a temptation.
Speaker Tillis roared through his first year in office overriding vetoes no one expected him to override and touring the state holding 31 Town Hall Meetings – then hit the first bump in the road. His Chief of Staff (who was also Tillis’ roommate) and his Chief Policy Advisor both landed in the newspaper for having affairs with lobbyists.
At first that was more an embarrassment than a problem but when Tillis whipped out the state checkbook and wrote the two aides he’d just fired checks for $19,000 in severance pay all blazes broke loose.
Then Tillis slipped and said that the only reason he’d paid his aides $19,000 was so they couldn’t collect unemployment for 99 weeks – which turned out not to be true. Because neither aide could have qualified for unemployment.
Then the other shoe fell.
Most folks figured those Town Hall Meetings had been held by local groups and Speaker Tillis had just climbed into his car and driven to Wilmington or Asheville but it turned out that wasn’t so: The meetings – which most people saw as a prelude to Tillis’ inevitable rise to Senator or Governor – had been set up by Tillis’ staff and Tillis had paid for them with taxpayers’ money including paying two Sergeants at Arms, two Special Policemen and two aides to travel with him.
This time Tillis told reporters those Town Halls were one of ‘the best investments of taxpayer money Republican legislators had made over the last year’ – a statement Republicans no doubt will hear again in Democratic ads this fall.
Sometimes when a fellow comes out of nowhere and soars into legend (like Babe Ruth or Mickey Mantle did in baseball) it’s just pure raw talent. But sometimes, in politics, as ole Tom Ellis used to say there’s a simpler explanation: He just happened to be sitting in the right place when lightning struck.
Talent or Lightning Striking?
2012-06-25/
After two terms in the State House Thom Tillis soared to being the second most powerful politician in Raleigh after the Governor and the oohing and aahing that followed probably wasn’t as lethal (or as likely to turn a fellow’s head) as a blonde whispering in his ear but, still, all that adulation had to be a temptation.
Speaker Tillis roared through his first year in office overriding vetoes no one expected him to override and touring the state holding 31 Town Hall Meetings – then hit the first bump in the road. His Chief of Staff (who was also Tillis’ roommate) and his Chief Policy Advisor both landed in the newspaper for having affairs with lobbyists.
At first that was more an embarrassment than a problem but when Tillis whipped out the state checkbook and wrote the two aides he’d just fired checks for $19,000 in severance pay all blazes broke loose.
Then Tillis slipped and said that the only reason he’d paid his aides $19,000 was so they couldn’t collect unemployment for 99 weeks – which turned out not to be true. Because neither aide could have qualified for unemployment.
Then the other shoe fell.
Most folks figured those Town Hall Meetings had been held by local groups and Speaker Tillis had just climbed into his car and driven to Wilmington or Asheville but it turned out that wasn’t so: The meetings – which most people saw as a prelude to Tillis’ inevitable rise to Senator or Governor – had been set up by Tillis’ staff and Tillis had paid for them with taxpayers’ money including paying two Sergeants at Arms, two Special Policemen and two aides to travel with him.
This time Tillis told reporters those Town Halls were one of ‘the best investments of taxpayer money Republican legislators had made over the last year’ – a statement Republicans no doubt will hear again in Democratic ads this fall.
Sometimes when a fellow comes out of nowhere and soars into legend (like Babe Ruth or Mickey Mantle did in baseball) it’s just pure raw talent. But sometimes, in politics, as ole Tom Ellis used to say there’s a simpler explanation: He just happened to be sitting in the right place when lightning struck.